


set flame to the night with stars in our eyes

by helenabarbara



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gun Violence, Kidnapped Harry, Kidnapping, Love, M/M, Spies & Secret Agents, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 09:49:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6112774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helenabarbara/pseuds/helenabarbara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>secret agent!au.</p><p>life can always change for the better. even if you have to shoot some people to get there.</p><p>louis is a 'secret' agent with a troubled past, harry is a hipster in denial, niall has many layers and the hotties for z, the q to louis's 007. liam is there too, but not really.</p>
            </blockquote>





	set flame to the night with stars in our eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alivingfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alivingfire/gifts).



> this took so much longer than i planned and it's a little more violent oops. i'll just tell you know, a guy gets shot in the balls. it's not graphic, but i thought i'd warn you. also there's some swearing.
> 
> (the layout is fucked up, i'll fix that when i get home)
> 
> hope you like it!
> 
> title from _we broke the sky_ by alexa goddard.

**Two weeks prior**

A young man came in, a lad so gorgeous Harry actually had to wipe the corner of his mouth - to remove the slobber threatening to leak and dribble down his chin. The man walked towards the metal table with his eyebrows raised. “So you’re the guy they suspect to be a spy?” He said, grabbing and turning a chair in one swift motion and planting his gracious bottom on the seat. “I expected someone a little less… Hipster.”

Harry, the poor sod still recovering from the stunning supermodel sitting across from him, gasped in mock outrage, “I beg your pardon, I am not hipster nor a spy! I promise, all I wanted to do was to ring my mate to come find me when suddenly the phone booth started sinking into the ground. I thought I’d finally see the _Ministry_ _of_ _Magic_ in person. Too bad.”

He wasn’t lying, that would have been really cool. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the _Ministry of Magic_ by far and the only thing worth seeing was this hot mess in front of him. A faint smile formed on his interrogator’s beautiful face and he coughed lightly. “What is your name, mister Hipster.”

 

Harry huffed. “Harry.”

 

“What else would it be,” the man muttered. “Agent T at your service. Please state your full name and date of birth, for the sake of registering the lost souls that end up here. We really ought to fix that phone booth-”

 

The door creaked open, and a blond tuft of hair peeked around the corner, followed by a pair of huge glasses. The guy grinned, “hey Lou, what are ya doing?”

 

Agent T turned around and sighed. “Security breach, dude. Don’t call me that, we’re at work. I’m interrogating mister Harry Hipster, he’s another lost soul.”

 

The guy gave Harry a knowing look, intensified by the huge glasses on his nose. “We really ought the fix that phone booth, ought we not, Lou?”

 

“Yes, we do,” agent T said with an exasperated look towards Harry. “This is N, as in _No one knows what he’s even doing here exactly_.”

 

N grinned and offered Harry his hand to shake. “Call me Niall. Got me some filthy richt parents so I ain’t ever have to work for a living, sounds good, no?” Harry noted he didn’t specify what he was doing at that place, but as he didn’t know anything, like, where he was, and what in the name of god was going on, he didn’t mention it. Agent T rolled his eyes, but there was a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

 

“Come on, mister Hipster. I’ve got some paperwork for you to fill out, and then you’re good to go.”

 

After filling out a shitload of paperwork, and stripped bare of all his personal information, Harry was finally allowed to leave. Not that he minded being around agent T, no, not at all, but Liam was probably worried sick, a sufficient payback for leaving Harry to wander around London on his own. Liam knew Harry was bad when it came to navigating, especially when he hadn’t been around the city much.

 

His best friend was such a prick.

 

~*~

 

Harry didn’t really like his job. You might even say hate.

 

After working in a coffeeshop for a while, even part time, you start to hate the smell of freshly brewed spicy hazelnut coffee with whipped cream and mini marshmallows and dread the odour of blueberry cheesecake muffins. Why didn’t he become a poet again? Okay, _maybe_ agent T was right. _Maybe_ Harry was a real hipster. It wasn’t like Harry’s ever going to admit that, or see agent T again, to set the record straight. It’s not like he wanted to. Maybe a little. A lottle.

 

Anyway. At the time, moving to London and finally reunite with his long term best friend seemed like the perfect plan to kick off his gap year. But as moving day creeped up on him, Harry got anxious and jittery; there was so much to do, to work out, to pack, etcetera, etcetera. Luckily, two weeks before moving day Harry had a three hour long Skype call and five heart-to-hearts with Liam, and his worries melted away like ice-cream on a hot summer day. The guy even fixed a job for him! _This_ job. Harry was still grateful, of course. But sometimes his gratefulness simply got polluted by annoyance. Like, all the time. Working was boring, and coffee is disgusting. But then again, wouldn't everyone eventually dislike coffee after inhaling these fumes five days a week? You’d be lying if you said no.

 

After only three hours, Harry desperately wanted to go back to that phone booth, but he was pretty sure that was illegal. The secret service would lock him up and erase his existence - or something like that. He just couldn’t stop thinking about agent T. Harry wanted to ask him so many questions, like, how did he end up there? What is his real name? Is he like James Bond? But curiosity killed the cat, so Harry tried not to think about the lad too much. Or dream about him. Harry didn’t do that. At all.

 

Nope.

 

“Harry, wake up, dude, there are customers waiting,” one of his coworkers hissed in an urgent tone, abruptly pulling Harry from his agent T induced fantasies, what lead to Harry spilling coffee all over himself. _Thanks a lot, Mason_. He darted into the employees bathroom and tried to wipe the burning coffee off his trousers, but to no avail. The splash of liquid had only stung for a moment but the stains were still there. Now Harry would have to walk around looking like he pooped his pants while wearing his trousers backwards for the rest of the day. Yip, yip.

 

~*~

 

“So, how was work?” Liam asked while pouring water in a glass by the sink.

 

“Boring as always. Some asshole made me spill coffee all over myself,” Harry answered, gesturing at his stained trousers. Luckily he hadn’t been wearing his favourite pair. Liam turned around and grimaced at the mess that was Harry’s outfit.

 

“Your turn to do the laundry this week.”

 

Harry rolled his eyes and flipped him off. “Oh bugger off, you. Is dinner ready yet?”

 

“Almost, there’s still time for you to shower and change out of those poo pants.”

 

Harry decided to ignore that last comment and just leave the room. He made his way to the bathroom after grabbing a clean pair of joggers. A shower did seem like a good idea.

 

~*~

 

“Niall, if you're only here to annoy me, could you not? I have a lot of shit to do. Go follow Z around or something, he’ll have a job for you.” Niall only sighed and fiddled with his glasses. 

 

“Fine, I’ll bite. What’s wrong this time?”

 

“He’ll never love me, Louis,” Niall immediately blurted in a whiny voice. “He’s so hot and I want to kiss him and suck his-”

 

Louis put his hands over Niall’s mouth and hissed, “Alright buddy, let’s not go there. No dick-talk in my office. Keep your fantasies in the bedroom, yeah? Lil Louis don't want none of that.” Niall let out a muffled sorry and pulled Louis’s hands away from his face. He pushed his glasses further up his nose and let out a small sigh.

 

“We should beat up bad guys sometime.”

 

“This isn’t the field department, Niall. Only James Bond does that and he’s a fictional character.”

 

“That’s not true and you know it. And I still want to beat up bad guys.”

 

“Why don’t you ask if you can beat up Z, I’m pretty sure he’s into that.” Niall choked on his own spit and Louis grinned manically. “I’m not even sorry, that was too good of an opportunity to pass on.”

 

“You’re such a bag of dicks,” Niall sputtered. 

 

“I would rather have a bag of dicks, preferably cherry flavoured.” His partner in crime laughed and punched Louis in the shoulder.

 

“Shut up, Lou. Didn’t you have lots of work to finish?”

 

Louis groaned and swung back around to face his computer. Niall and he had just settled in a comfortable silence when the door swung open and revealed a guy with the most bemused expression Louis had ever seen. 

 

“Hi,” he said, noticing Niall in the room, who awkwardly waved at him. “Lou, there is- uhm, there is a guy asking for you. And he’s drunk. At least I think he’s drunk.” Louis laughed, because _what_?

 

“Z, what are you saying?” 

 

“There is a dude asking for agent T, I think he came down via the phone booth, and he’s drunk. I think,” Z repeated, while Niall snickered.

 

“Someone got himself a lover,” he said, dodging Louis’s halfhearted slap. “What does he look like?” Z described the guy as handsomely tall, brown hair and hipster-ish.

 

“Wait a second,” Louis said incredulously, “ _Harry_?”

 

Niall choked on air, “that guy you had to interrogate two weeks ago? This is too perfect. He is totally into your secret agent arse. You should probably get him out of here before anyone notices, Lou.” Louis nodded absently. _What was that idiot doing here_? He felt almost flattered, for some reason. He got up and walked past Z and Niall towards the hallway, but missed Niall whispering ‘I totally ship them’ in Z’s ear.

 

Louis stepped into the lounge, and _fuck_ , it was actually Harry. The Harry he interrogated a few weeks ago and had not stopped thinking about for a second since then.

 

“Hi,” he said, hesitating. “Harry, right? You’re not supposed to be here, you know.” Harry looked at him with sad eyes.

 

“I wanted to see you again,” he slurred. “I can’t stop thinking about your pretty face and-” He promptly fell on his arse, whining softly when Louis snickered. “Don’t laugh at me.”

 

“Sorry. I’ll try not to,” Louis said. “What are you doing here, Harry?”

 

“I dunno. I forgot.”

 

“God, you’re drunk. Wait here, I’ll take you home,” he said, turning around and walking back to his office. He opened the door while saying, “Guys, I’m taking Harry home, can you-” but fell silent when he saw his two friends were too engaged in a heated make out session to even notice he was there. “Never mind.” Well, that image would haunt him for the rest of his life.

 

**One day prior**

 

Louis woke up on his couch, his neck hurting badly, but feeling oddly content. His heart fluttered every time he glanced towards his bedroom door. He got up and walked to his kitchen to put the kettle on. He grabbed some painkillers while he waited, because Harry would definitely need those if his state from yesterday was anything to go by. After the water was boiled, he poured two mugs, leaving one for himself. 

 

“Good morning, sunshine,” he sang, putting the steaming tea down on the nightstand and pulling the curtains open. “Today is a beautiful day.” Harry only groaned in response.

 

“I have an idea. Why don’t you down these painkillers and drink your tea and then we’ll watch a film or something.” Another groan. “Sounds like a solid plan.”

 

~*~

 

“Why did you show up drunk at the service anyway?” Louis asked. Harry groaned again, but this time it was a sound of embarrassment. 

 

“I don’t even know. I was drunk and lonely and for some reason I ended up there. I have no clue how I even remembered where the phone booth was. Last night was a mess.”

 

“Was little Harry out drinking on his own? Awh, poor boy,” Louis mocked him, laughing when Harry weakly bumped his shoulder. “Sorry.”

 

“Liam was busy and I felt like drinking, so yeah, I was alone. Talking to myself is easier, you know? I don’t mock me,” he said with a serious face.

 

“I won’t mock you anymore, sorry love. In fact, I’d love to drink with you some time.” Harry smiled.

 

“That’s sweet, we could do that, yeah.”

 

“Can I kiss you?” he blurted out. Louis turned red.

 

“I- yes, please.” Harry leaned in and his lips touched Louis’s. They were softer than he had imagined, the kiss gentler than in his dreams. He opened his mouth slightly to signify Harry he was ready for more, _aching_ for it. Harry shifted closer to Louis, almost laying on top of him, moaning slightly. The kiss got more intense and Louis felt Harry getting hard against his leg. He gasped at the feeling, relishing in it, heat rising to his cheeks. It felt like a dream come true. He’d never felt so much ( _love_?) for another person. But Harry felt different. The moment felt like ages, but he could go on forever. They parted, both heavily breathing. Harry’s face was completely red and Louis probably didn’t look much better, but boy, Harry was beautiful looking like this. They just stared at each other, heaving.

 

“Another?” Louis stuttered out and Harry nodded eagerly. They leaned again, immediately feeling the temperature rise. The second time felt even more magical. Louis didn’t know he wanted to do this so badly. They kissed hungrily, getting out two weeks of sexual frustration. Harry pulled away and pushed his hair away from his face.

 

“I should probably get back, Liam will get worried and I don’t have my phone-”

 

“Yeah, yeah, of course. I’ll take you home, then.”

 

They got up, both still flustered. Louis got his shoes from the hallway and they excited the apartment in silence. Louis locked up and they walked, in complete silence, out to the street.

 

Harry didn’t live very far away so Louis walked him home. He also couldn’t get enough of Harry, but that’s not important. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was already sinking. The orange light illuminated their faces. They walked shoulder to shoulder, striking up a casual conversation. Neither of them acknowledging the heated kiss. Louis had an intense urge to grab Harry’s hand, but he was too nervous to do so. He was’t very experienced when it came to boys and crushes (or something more than just crushes). A van pulled up next to them and two men got out. They approached Harry and him, and Louis was about to greet them when they grabbed Harry and pulled him back to the van. They closed the doors and drove away.

 

“What the _fuck_! Harry, oh no..” He smacked himself for not acting quicker and punching their lights out. Why did they… Louis was flabbergasted. This made absolutely no sense. He had the license plate mesmerized, but going to the police was useless. He could do it much quicker. He started running. The phone booth was only two blocks from here and Z could track anything, right? It was his best (and probably only) chance. He yanked the door open and punched in the numbers. The booth went down agonizingly slow and Louis bolted out as soon as the door opened. He ran down the hallway, hoping Z was in his office.

 

“Z, you need to track a license plate for me- they took Harry-” 

 

“Huh, why? What’s going on?” Louis sank down in one of the office chairs. He took a few breaths, not exercising taking its toll.

 

“I don’t know! For entertainment purposes? Who the fuck knows. Come on, I have the license plate and we can’t just do nothing!” Z beckoned him to come over to where he was seated behind a laptop.

 

“I’ll see what I can do.”

 

Purely because Z was a technical mastermind, they were able to track the van to an abandoned building just outside the city. It wasn’t very far and Louis jumped out of his chair, this was it. There was only one thing he could do. Go there and save his boy. He walked out to find Niall with Z on his heels. The two of them could probably help him out with this. At least Niall’s dream about beating up bad guys would be reality after this.

 

~*~

 

The worst part was, Louis had done this before. Multiple times even. He’d never told Niall, but Z, the nosy bastard, probably knew as he had access to Louis’s file. He used to seek out small drug cartels, run in, take the drugs, shoot some guys in the process. Afterwards he’d make an anonymous call to the local police, hinting them about a drug cartel in that neighbourhood. For a surprising long time, it worked. He saw himself as a lesser bad guy, a vigilante, even. But shortly after an overdose scare he got involved with the service, who got him into an addiction recovery program and kept him away from guns and bad influences.

 

Every superhero has a dramatic backstory, right? _Right_. Except Louis didn’t see himself as a superhero. He wasn’t a bad guy, but not good either. Harry made him want to be a hero, so that’s what he would try to be. Louis stopped in his track and turned around with blazing eyes.

 

“Do you still have access to the weaponry section, Z? I might need some lead for this.” Z nodded with a lopsided grin, giving Niall a high five as they made their way to the gunroom. Louis grabbed the weapons he might use with practiced ease, sliding a smaller one in the holster strapped around his thigh and taking a shotgun in his hand. After grabbing extra munition and a knife he walked back to where Z and Niall were standing.

 

“Let’s go. I’ve got a damsel in distress to save from a burning tower.” And with his best friends in tow he stepped out into the night.

 

~*~

 

Niall had never seen Louis so fierce. Maybe the time he rescued the department head’s daughter, which is how he got his spot at the service in the first place, but this was different. Even Louis himself seemed surprised at his own bravery. The closer they got to the place where Harry was held, the more subdued he got, which wasn’t surprising at all. He put his hand over Louis’s, snapping the guy out of his Harry induced train of thought.

 

“We got your back, Lou, don’t forget that alright?” Z and him had come up with a plan to make it a little easier for Louis, but the latter would never agree to go through with it. Not wanting to put his friends into danger, blah blah blah. This was what they trained for, right? Why not put that training to good use.

 

Z stopped the car and turned around in his seat. “This is it.” 

 

Louis smiled at him, “thanks dudes, I owe you big time.” Niall shoved him hard.

 

“No, you big booby. We’re here because we love you and want to help. Now go save your boy, the longer we wait, the more they can do to hurt him.” Louis growled at the last words and got out of the car.

 

“See you in an hour or two, lads,” he said and took off towards the building.

 

The only source of light in the building were flickering lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling. Great. Louis carefully stepped through the hallway, listening for any indication that other people were in the building. He heard footsteps and quickly pressed himself against the wall, peaking around the corner. There were two guys, not extremely buff or tall, quietly talking to one another. Conveniently, both of them had their backs turned to where Louis was hiding and thus didn’t know he was there. Louis carefully tore of a piece of his t-shirt and grabbed the knife from his pocket. He had to act quickly or one of them could alert the rest he was in the building. In one smooth motion Louis jumped the closest guy from behind, stuffed the ball of cotton in his mouth and knocked him out cold with a swift jab to the temple.

 

He had the other guy pushed up against the wall with a knife on his throat before he even realised what Louis had done to his buddy. The guy started to protest weakly but Louis shushed him by pressing the knife a little harder into his skin. He couldn’t help whispering ‘sweet dreams’ before knocking him out and taping his hands behind his back with the duct tape he had been holding moments before that. After restraining the other guy Louis climbed the stairs, picking up his pace when he heard a scream.

 

The stairwell lead to another hallway, with two open doors at both sides and a closed one at the end. He checked the two rooms, but both appeared to be empty. Louis’s heart jumped, because Harry had to be in the last room. He leaned against the wall and listened, hoping to hear Harry’s voice in behind the door. 

 

Louis smiled a little when he heard the familiar rumble, but quickly shook out of it. Harry sounded like he was crying. Louis wouldn't have that. He pushed the door, rolling his eyes when it creaked open. This guys were obviously amateurs. He peeked around the corner, immediately spotting Harry and his abductor. The guy had an arm tightly around Harry’s throat and the other around his middle. Louis made himself known.

 

“Let him go.”

 

The guy growled at him, “no.”

 

Louis sighed. “Don’t make me hurt you.” He stepped closer. “I don’t particularly like hurting people, you know? But right now, you’re kind of a nuisance. So, let him go. Now.”

 

The guy laughed nervously. “You’re just bluffing, dude.” Harry wiggled around, but the guy didn’t seem to notice.

 

“ _Let him go_ ,” Louis demanded, louder. “I’m not playing here, mate. I will hurt you if you don’t stop touching him right now.”

 

The guy squeezed Harry’s wrist and Harry’s face contorted in pain. Louis shook his head in a disappointed manner and grabbed the smaller gun from the holster around his thigh. He removed the safety and loaded a cartridge into the firing chamber, smiling at the satisfying click. The guy looked at him with wide eyes. “You’re not really going to use that.”

 

Louis winked at him. “You brought this onto yourself, mate,” he said and shot the guy in the balls.

 

He fell to the ground and started sobbing horribly, but Louis ignored him and kneeled down next to Harry, who gave him a watery smile.

 

“What took you so long?”

 

“Z is a slow driver. Are you hurt?” Harry nodded weakly pointing at his wrist.

 

“I think he broke it.” Louis looked at the bloody mess that was Harry’s abductor and shrugged.

 

“That must hurt a lot, too,” he said casually and blindly fired his gun at the guy. Harry didn’t even flinch and simply smiled at him. Louis smiled back.

 

“Come on, babe, let’s get out of here.”

 

~*~

 

“Harreh, you’re back!” Niall screamed as soon as they stepped out of the building. He was standing by the van, but Z was nowhere to be found. Harry waved at him.

 

“Where’s Z?” Louis asked. Niall grinned mischievously. 

 

“Rounding up the details for the surprise.”

 

“What surprise?” His blond friend let out an excited laugh.

 

“Just you wait, Z is almost done, I think.”

 

Said guy came jogging towards the trio not a minute later. He too looked very excited. He patted Louis on the shoulder and pressed a small device in his hand.

 

“You can do the honour, Lou,” he said. Niall nodded in agreement.

 

Louis looked at the two of them with twinkling eyes. “A _bomb_? No fucking way.”

 

Niall shrugged. “We all have backstories, Louis.”

 

Louis turned to Harry and pulled him closer. He pressed the button and said: “I think I might be in love with you.”

 

The night exploded behind them, while Niall screamed in delight and it was the best night of Louis’s life.

 

He felt unstoppable. He felt like a _hero_.


End file.
